29 November 2011 08:14 am
Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe today in Parliament removed his tie bearing the logo of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association(CPA) as a mark of protest against the government for not allowing him to make a statement under the Standing Order 23-II
When Mr.Wickremesinghe rose on his feet to make his statement, the Leader of the House Nimal Siripala de Silva said that the Opposition Leader, in his statement, had referred to some matters now lying before a court of law.
“A copy of Mr. Wickremesinghe’s statement has been sent to my office. I went through it. In certain paragraphs of the speech, Mr. Wickremesinghe has referred to some matters which come under sub judice law. There is a legal case mention. It is now lying with the Court of Appeal. We cannot debate matters pending before court,” he said.
Mr. Wickremesinghe said that he was ready to omit such sentences which were in contravention of the Standing Orders, and make his amended statement.
However, the Leader of the House, Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardane and External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said each sentence in Mr. Wickremesinghe’s statement were inter- linked, and therefore, the statement could not be entrained even with the omission of controversial sentences.
They asked Mr. Wickremesinghe to redraft his statement to be made in the House on a different day so that the government could give a proper reply. (Kelum Bandara and Yohan Perera - Pix by Samantha Perera)